Enjoy these ten interesting facts and records that might be shattered during the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday, including the opportunity for Ducati’s #93 to win the race for the 93rd time.
Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) made an incredible start from second on the grid to win the exciting Tissot Sprint on Saturday. The defending World Champion was pushed to the limit in the final five laps by Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGPTM), who finished in second place, so it was not a simple task for the #1. However, with Bagnaia facing a grid penalty on Sunday and Ducati with 92 wins so far, could the #93 claim their 93rd MotoGPTM race victory? With everything up for grabs and intense competition, be sure to review these 10 incredible facts before the Italian Grand Prix.
1. For the first time since the Sprint format’s inception last year, championship leader Jorge Martin of Prima Pramac Racing lost badly in the Sprint.
2. 7/7 Martin becomes the seventh different polesitter during the previous seven Grands Prix hosted at Mugello, following Maverick Viñales (2017), Valentino Rossi (2018), Marc Marquez (2019), Fabio Quartararo (2021), Fabio Di Giannantonio (2022), and Francesco Bagnaia (2023).
3. Francesco Bagnaia, the reigning champion and pole-sitter from the previous year, will be looking to win the Italian GP for the third time in a row on Sunday. Bagnaia won his first sprint race since Austria last year.
4. Finishing in P2, Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGPTM) matched his best Sprint performance. After finishing P2 in Sprint for the third time in a row, he will now try to win for the first race since Emilia-Romagna 2021, which was 952 days ago. With Ducati and Gresini, it would be his maiden Grand Prix victory.
5. This will be Ducati’s 93rd victory in the top class if Marquez, who is racing with #93, wins the Italian Grand Prix. Interesting fact: with #27, Casey Stoner won the 27th Ducati race; with #63, Bagnaia won the 63rd; with #72, Marco Bezzecchi won the 72nd; and with #89, Jorge Martin won the 89th.
6. Francisco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) qualified sixth, which is his highest qualifying result since he qualified fourth in Argentina the previous year, after making it through the first round.
7. Morbidelli finished P4 this year, matching his best Sprint result from Argentina 2023 and Spain. He will be looking to take his first podium since being third in Jerez in 2021.
8. Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 rookie Pedro Acosta finished P3 in the Sprint for his third Sprint podium. At the age of just 20 years and 8 days on Sunday, he will try to break Marc Marquez’s record by becoming the youngest victor of the Premier Class (20 years and 63 days old at Austin in 2013).
9. After Spain, Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGPTM) qualified eighth, his second-best qualifying performance of the year. After finishing eighth in the Sprint, he will now try to win a MotoGP race or add to his already impressive list of premier class podium finishes—two with Honda and two with Ducati.
10. After qualifying eighth at Catalunya last week, Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGPTM) has qualified for 10th place, his second-best qualifying finish of the year.
On Sunday, will we witness the #93 ascend to the top step of the podium? Watch the action on motogp.com starting at 14:00 local time (UTC +2) to ensure you don’t miss anything!
